Where is it?

Where is the cost of disability payment?

The cost of disability payment. Where is it?

I am sharing time with my colleagues, Deputies Aidan Farrelly and Jen Cummins. First, it shows something about how the Government respects, or disrespects, this House that not one senior Government Minister is here for this.

Indeed, Fianna Fáil Members are missing in their entirety. I wonder why they have gone into hiding. Budgets are about choices and the choices made by this Government in this budget could not be any clearer. Look after large corporations and developers at the expense of ordinary people and those who are struggling. There is no hiding or disguising it and no way to spin it. This Government’s choice is clear. This has turned out to be a McBudget, a giveaway for fast food chains and developers that the public will find…

The cost-of-living crisis did not end once the election was over last year. A recent report from Barnardos found that four out of ten parents skip meals or eat less to stop their children going hungry. This Government has forgotten about these families. This is a giveaway budget for property developers and owners of fast food chains. There are handouts for millionaires while ordinary families struggle to get by. This is outrageously unjust. We should not be surprised that Fianna Fáil is focused on looking after its…

It is absolutely extraordinary that this measure is being brought in for apartments currently under construction, some of which are near completion. In the context of many of those apartments, the prices are locked in. Those purchasing them - approved housing bodies or whomever - have already agreed a price. This will create a windfall profit for developers, and that money will go straight into their back pockets. There is no need for a resolution like this now. It could have been designed in another way. I do not …

I condemn the attack at the synagogue in Manchester. I express our solidarity with all of those affected. On behalf of the Social Democrats, I express our horror at the actions of the Israeli military. Last night, they illegally boarded the Sumud flotilla in international waters, and effectively kidnapped humanitarian activists, including at least 14 Irish citizens. They took this action not because the flotilla posed a threat or because anyone on board was dangerous, but to stop humanitarian aid reaching a starvin…

I cannot understand why tens of millions of euro worth of dual-use products are still being exported to Israel. I cannot understand why Ireland's sovereign wealth fund is still investing in companies that are trading in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. I cannot understand why the Central Bank had been facilitating the sale of Israeli war bonds to fund the genocide. I cannot understand why Ireland and the EU are still trading normally with this murderous regime. I cannot understand any of thi…

Given that Irish citizens were engaged in this humanitarian mission with massive support from the Irish people, and in light of the fact that a flotilla had already been attacked in international waters, does the Tánaiste not agree that sending some personnel would have shown the support of the Government, would have put additional pressure on Israel and would have been warranted?

It would have sent a message. It would have been important and I think the Tánaiste knows that.

When is the occupied territories Bill going to be enacted?

The Tánaiste has been telling us for quite some time that he will be bringing the Bill forward very shortly and that he will be meeting the sponsor of the Bill. He has met with the sponsor of the Bill several times and that is welcome. When is it actually going to be brought forward? Surely at this stage, given everything that has happened, the Tánaiste can actually give us a firm commitment and timeline on when he is going to bring it forward.

When will the Tánaiste take action to stop munitions destined for Israel going through Irish airspace?

With respect, that is the same answer we have been getting all year. We are told that the Minister is investigating, has gotten reports and is looking into it. Munitions that are being used in a genocide are going through our Irish airspace and the Tánaiste needs to act to stop that from happening. Enough of the excuses about looking at reports, investigating and so forth; when is he actually going to act to do something about this?

Prosecute them.

When is the Tánaiste going to stop our sovereign wealth fund from investing in companies that are trading illegally in occupied Palestinian territories?

The Minister for Finance in a recent reply to me stated that €5.6 million of taxpayers' money is still being invested in companies operating in the occupied territories. The Tánaiste has absolutely no mandate - none whatsoever - to use our public money to invest in these companies. How can he justify this? Will he put an immediate end to this gross misuse of public funds? Will he instruct the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund to stop using our money to invest in these companies?

I am not looking for more information about this. We have information from the Minister for Finance. I want the Government to act. Our public money is being invested against the wishes of the Irish people in companies operating illegally in the occupied territories. You are the Tánaiste of the Government. Will you pick up the phone to the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund and tell them to stop using our money in this way? Nobody supports it, and nobody wants it. Will you act?

You will not act.